Learn to Sharpen Chisels the Japanese Way

No, wait…this one’s kinda different. In fact, this video isn’t about the cutting edge of the chisel. What?! It’s true. “Chisel Sharpening with Harrelson Stanley” is about the ergonomics of the body and its relationship to the chisel. Japanese tool and sharpening expert Harrelson Stanley discusses how to hold your body, your shoulders and your hands to keep the blade-to-stone relationship smooth and in control. When you think about it, this is an interesting approach. We focus so much on the point of contact on the sharpening stone, that if we think of our body position at all, it’s how we’re holding the chisel. That is part of the concept, but the way we move our arms, roll our shoulders and even stand, is all translated to the point of contact.

The video has just been posted to the ShopClass On Demand site and is available to all site subscribers, but can also be downloaded individually. So if you’re looking for a different thought on sharpening, this one will make you think.

2 thoughts on “Learn to Sharpen Chisels the Japanese Way”

I recently purchased and started using one of the 500 grit Shapton Glass Stones and it is amazingly simple. Once I have the geometry set at that level I can fly through the rest of the stones in less than 20 strokes each. Even on a set of Nagahiro(amazingly hard steel) Chu-Tataki made in the early 90s.

It seems odd to talk about “ergonomics of the body” and use of shoulders and hands for “control”, and then show a video of a guy with an extremely cramped grip on the chisel and a stilted motion. It makes my hands hurt just to think about holding a chisel that way. Check out Toshio Odate for a grip that gives much more comfort and much more control.